Do all cats need all vaccines?

When I adopted/rescued Spot last September, my vet advised not giving him vaccinations at that time. When I initially took him in, I had found him on the street and wanted to get him checked out. I didn't officially claim him as mine until a few weeks later.

My other cat, Willow, has always been kept up-to-date on the vaccines recommended by the vet. She's about six years old. With Spot, I have no idea what his history is, so I don't know whether he has ever received them. He is also quite a bit older (at least 10 or 12 years old). Should he be receiving all of the same vaccines? Both Willow and Spot are indoor-only cats now.

Yes, I'd definitely get this cat vaccinated. And even if they are indoor cats, go ahead and get the shots during the annual checkup just in case they temporarily escape. In a multi-cat household, I'd definitely get them all of the shots.

Nano was in such horrible shape when I rescued her that I held off on getting her fully vetted until she had regained some strength. But IMO, all rescued cats should get current on all shots once they regain some semblance of normal strength.

Quite unusual that your vet recommended no vaccinations, especially on an outdoor cat. It's a good thing that your first cat was up-to-date on vaccinations. Who knows what the new guy might have brought in.

But if he's currently well, and he's going to be an indoors-only cat, quite frankly vaccinations, IMHO, are optional. (Except if your local ordinance requires a rabies vaccination for licensing, as many in the U.S. do). If you think the risk of exposure in the future is zero, then there's no point.

However, and here's where you have to weigh the risk -- if an unvaccinated cat gets outside and has contact with another sick cat, you risk your cat being infected. So decide what the odds are and whether you are willing to risk that, vs. the small known risks of vaccination (reaction and sarcoma).

He was fully tested for the communicable diseases within hours of bringing him home, and I kept him separate from my other baby until after I got the test results. Do you think there is an age where cats may not need the vaccinations anymore? Is it possible they develop their own antibodies after a while?

Spot has been to the vet dozens of times since I brought him home. He had issues with an abscess not healing, recurrent diarrhea, and hyperthyroidism. Lately, he's also been sneezing a lot, so he's on interferon. I'm wondering if the vaccinations could be more risky for him because of these things.

As for licensing, they don't require it for cats here, only dogs.

This is what two vets have told me .. most cat only need the 3 in1 ( someone please tell me what that covers ) and rabies... I would wait till this kid is way better before giving any.. my personal vet told me that my oldest will be 17 this month doesnt need any more shots evan if she sees 19 when hers expire..

Originally Posted by sharky

most cat only need the 3 in1 ( someone please tell me what that covers )

Click to expand...

1 - rhinotracheitis (a type of herpes virus)
2 - calici virus
3 - panleukopenia (used to be called distemper)
The vaccine is also referred to as "FVRCP", as sometimes as "distemper"

My vet refused to give Poptart his vaccinations. He said it would spark a reaction at that time or something. So I went home without the vaccinations and about a wekk later he got the upper respitory again.. so I don't know if that had somehting to do with it.. as you can't give a sick cat a vaccination because it will actually bring on the illness. After the URI cleared he went in and got them.. So I don't know.